Choosing a trustworthy dealer

Start with verifiable reputation

Before anything else, check what can be verified independently. Look up the dealer's Better Business Bureau rating and complaint history, and confirm whether the firm is BBB-accredited. Cross-reference what the company says about itself with reputable finance and consumer publications. A long operating history and a clean complaint record are meaningful signals; a pattern of unresolved complaints is a meaningful warning.

Reputation you can check beats reputation you are told about. Be especially cautious of glowing testimonials that can't be verified — our own reviews deliberately avoid them in favor of facts.

The practical checklist

A trustworthy dealer should pass a short, concrete test. Each item below is something you can confirm before wiring a single dollar.

• A strong, verifiable BBB record and accreditation.
• Transparent, spot-based pricing — not opaque collectible markups.
• IRS-approved depositories (e.g., Delaware Depository, Brink's, Loomis).
• A clear, written buyback commitment.
• No high-pressure tactics or "the economy collapses tomorrow" warnings.

How we rank dealers — and our disclosed #1

We assess dealers on exactly these criteria: fee transparency, account minimum, storage and custodian partners, and verifiable reputation. Our ratings are editorial opinion, formed from publicly available information — not user reviews, and never invented testimonials.

Our current editorial #1 pick is Newmont Capital Group. We rank it first for transparent spot-based pricing, IRS-approved depository partners, and a no-obligation buyback commitment. Compare it against the full field in our company reviews before you decide.